The Green Bay Packers will kick off Week 8 of the 2026 NFL campaign with a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Injuries are piling up for the Packers heading into this one, and once again, the team will be without superstar linebacker Micah Parsons, as he is still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered last season.
Green Bay was hoping that Parsons would be back on the field by now, and while he is closing in on a return to action, he never really had a shot at suiting up for the team on its short week. However, a new report has surfaced right before the Packers’ clash against the Panthers indicating that Parsons is on track to return to practice next week.
Micah Parsons Expected to Return to Practice Ahead of Week 9
The Packers picked up Parsons in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2025 campaign, and he immediately took their defense to another level, racking up 41 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 14 games of action. A torn ACL cut his season short, though, and despite his efforts to get back on the field as soon as possible, it’s been almost a year since Parsons last suited up for an NFL game.
Green Bay has unsurprisingly played it safe when it comes to Parsons’ injury status this year. While he set a goal for himself to be ready to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, he never really managed to come close to being ready for that game. With each passing week Parsons doesn’t practice, though, the more worried fans become regarding his status.
While Parsons didn’t practice this week, head coach Matt LaFleur indicated that the team is hoping he could get back on the field ahead of the team’s Week 9 action. Sure enough, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday night that Green Bay is expecting Parsons to make his return to practice next week.
“Micah Parsons is expected to return to practice next week,” Rapoport said on “NFL GameDay.” “Obviously, short week, was not able to do it this week. Next week, he should be on the practice field if all goes well.”
Packers Defense Set to Get Micah Parsons Boost Very Soon
This is the most definitive update that the Packers have received regarding Parsons’ injury status, which is a huge win for this team. Green Bay has been banged up pretty much all year, so it cannot be overstated how important it is to get a guy like Parsons back on defense, even if he is likely going to be a bit rusty considering how much time he has missed.
In the immediate future, though, the Packers’ main focus is going to involve finding a way to get back in the win column against the Panthers. Carolina has been a strong team for the majority of this year, but it just got smacked around by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, so it will also be looking for a big bounce-back game. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Packers Get Huge Micah Parsons Injury News Right Before Panthers Clash